Gemotions

Standing at the bus stop, the cold wind whipped at Sophia’s face. She clutched her scarf tighter, a gesture of comfort against the biting chill. The cityscape blurred around her, the familiar buildings taking on an ethereal quality.

A name surfaced in her thoughts, a name she hadn't considered in years: Paul Reynolds, the boy who, in her teenage years, could make her feel like the smallest person in the world. He was listed as a therapist online, specialising in helping people with anxieties. The unexpected news hit her like a punch to the gut.

She remembered the way the leaves crunched underfoot, the crispness of the air. A feeling, something akin to a phantom limb, ached within her.